A golf ball launch monitor is an electronic device for assisting a golfer in improving his or her game. More particularly, the monitor is used to analyze the initial path of the golf ball after it is struck by a golf club, and to present to the golfer the likely flight path information for the ball. Typically, the flight path information will include ball speed, ball direction, spin, and a projected flight path or distance. The launch monitor typically has an imager which couples to a processor and display. The imager is placed close to where the golfer is expected to hit the ball, with the imager's sensor directed toward the ball or tee.
Usually the golfer manually aligns the monitor to the target before use. The monitor, based on the initial flight parameters and its current alignment, calculates the flight characteristics of the golf ball including the ultimate position of the ball. Such a monitor is described in various previous patent applications by the inventor of the present invention, including U.S. Pat. No. 7,324,663 entitled “Flight Parameter Measurement System” issued on Jan. 29, 2009, U.S. Pat. No. 7,292,711 entitled “Flight Parameter Measurement System” issued on Nov. 6, 2007, U.S. Pat. No. 7,641,565 entitled “Method and Apparatus For Detecting The Placement of a Golf Ball for a Launch Monitor” issued on Jan. 5, 2010, U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,780 entitled “Integrated Golf Ball Launch Monitor” issued on Mar. 3, 2009, U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,500 entitled “Foldable Launch Monitor For Golf” issued on Jun. 2, 2009, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,951,138 entitled “Golf Club Head Measurement System” issued on Feb. 10, 2015, the contents of all of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
A desirable parameter is the left and right trajectory of the ball typically referred to as azimuth. The azimuth is one of the most important parameters in determining if the ball will end up close the desired target, other factors include ball velocity, spin, launch angle and wind. For an optical system, the measurement is typically made relative the exterior housing of the launch monitor. Because the golfer is attempting to reach the target (e.g. the pin), the monitor must be aligned with the target to accurately model the flight path of the ball and its ultimate position; thus without proper azimuth alignment, the monitor's calculations of the ball flight will be inaccurate. Typically, the user aligns the front housing of the monitor to be parallel to a linear path that reaches the target. The monitor bases it calculations on the assumption that it is aligned with the target. But the monitor housing can be relatively narrow (less than 10 inches) so even a diligent alignment may be off by several degrees. Such an error at a tee-box can result in a very large error at the green. More commonly, the user does not take care to have the most accurate alignment possible, simply pulling the monitor out of his golf bag and setting up with a rough alignment.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that allows a user to easily and accurately align a golf ball launch monitor, such that the monitor can use the azimuth alignment correction as part of its calculations to arrive at a more accurate ball flight trajectory.